Ship s capstan



UNITED sTAT'as PATENT carica.

DAVID KNOVVLTON, @F CAMDEN, MAINE.

SHIPS CAPSTAN.

Specification of' Letters Patent No.' 24,467, dated June 21, 1859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID KNowLToN, of Camden, in the county of WValdo and State of Maine, have invented anew and useful or Improved Variable-Power Capstan for Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the fol-lowing description and accompanying drawings fully describe and illustrate the nature and operation of my said capstan.

Figure l, of the accompanyingv drawings, represents a side view of a capstan, having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section of the same, taken through its operating gear mechanism. Fig. 3, is a vertical central cross section of it.

In the drawings, A, denotes the body of a barrel of the capstan; B, the base plate; C, the head to which the power is directly applied.

The base plate B, is to be firmly fastened to the deck of the vessel, and from the cen ter of this plate or frame, a stationary spindle E, rises, said spindle sustaining in place the body and head of the capstan, which revolve freely around it, two cross plates a, b, extending across the body of the capstan, and sustaining it in place. The capstan body revolves in the direction denoted by the arrow and is prevented from turning in the opposite direction by a pawl p, on the bottom of the capstan body, working into or against a series of teeth g, g, around the top of the base plate.

To the lower surface of the head C, a gear F, is attached, said gear being cut with or upon the head, or securely fastened thereto, so as to revolvel with and by the head. An internal gear G is cast upon the inner surface of the top ring of the capstan barrel, said gear connecting with the gear F, by two interposed gears H, I, as seen in Fig. 2. One gear only, may be used instead of the two, I-I, I, to connect the gears F, G, the only difference in the result being that with but one the capstan head and the barrel when operating together as a power capstan turn in opposite directions, while with two gears H, I, under` t-he same use of the capstan, the head and barrel turn in the same direction, which I generally prefer. An-

other and similar set of gears H, I, are shown as meshing into and connecting with the gears F, G, which set may or may not be used, as persons desire. These gears H, I, H, I', are placed on shafts extending up from a plate K, placed and rotating at proper times on the spindle E. Just below this plate and parallel to it,.another horizontal and stationary plate L, is fixed firmly to the shaft or spindle E, but in such manner that it can be easily raised or taken off from the spindle at any time that it may be desirable to take the capstan apart. This plate has upon its top surface a circle oroperate against the teeth f, or turn in thel opposite direction so as not to act upon said teeth.

To operate the capstany as a simple capstan, or in such manner that the barrel and head shall rotate together, and at the same speed, the pawl g, is turned down, and trips against one of the teeth, 7, Now if power be applied to rotate the head, in the direction denoted by the arrow a, thev head and barrel will be connected together so as to move with great velocity, and as the gear plate K, (with its gears) revolves loosely upon the stationary spindle, the consequence is that said plate and gears, the body of the capstan, and the head will all rotate together, the pawl cl, slipping yover the teeth c of the stationary plate L, or in other words, the gears, H, I, F and, G, are all as inoperative as respects each other, when the capstan is thus worked, as a simple capstan, as if they were cast upon the head and barrel. To operate it as a power capstanthe pawl g, is turned up from the teeth f and then upon turning the capstan head in the same direction as before its gear F, is thereby rot-ated with it, and imparts motion to the gear H, I, and through them to the internal gear Gr, and the barrel of the capstan which turns slower with great power, the gear plate K, being prevented from rotating by the pawl d, striking against the teeth, c, of the stationary plate L, and thereby locking the plate K, to the plate L, so that the gears H, I, operate the barrel A, of the capstan by acting on the internal gear G.

My improved capstan is changed from a,v

sim le to a power capstan vvith the greatest faci ity Without stopping, by simply turning the finger piece z', Which operates the paWl, g. It is also changed from a power to a simple capstan With the same facility, and Without stopping, by turning the finger piece, i, in the opposite direction, so as to lock the head of the capstan to the barrel and make them both turn together.

Many of the gear capstans made prior to my invention have a spindle passing through and below the deck of the vessel, so that the deck is very liable to leak, to the great damage of the cargo, and great risk of iring the vessel When carrying lime, thereby endangering the lives of the seamen and passengers; but my improved capstan may be applied to the deck of any vessel that is already constructed Without making a hole inthe deck for the spindle; hence all the dangers consequent on making a hole in the deck for the spindle are avoided.

revolving plate arranged to turn With the barrel and head When they are locked to-` gether; and to be stationary When they are unlocked, in combination With two stud gears, by which the head and barrel are turned in the same direction When used as a geared `or simple capstan.

DAVID KNoWLToN. Witnesses N. A. DYAR, FRANCIS GOULD. 

